CV NEWS FEED // Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., delivered an address at the 20th Annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast Feb. 28, emphasizing the resilience and unwavering hope of the pro-life movement in the face of imposing challenges.
Smith, a long-time advocate for the pro-life cause, was honored with the National Prayer Breakfast’s Christifideles Laici award. Named after Pope John Paul II’s 1988 post-synodal exhortation, the award is presented “In Honor and Gratitude for Fidelity to the Church, Exemplary Selfless and Steadfast Service in the Lord’s Vineyard.”
Smith began by recognizing his wife, Marie, for her extraordinary leadership in the movement, according to a Feb. 28 news release. He credited her with being a “powerful, talented and incredibly wise, faith-filled pro-life leader,” particularly through her work with Holy See delegations at the United Nations.
“Words are inadequate to express my love, respect, admiration and gratitude for her,” Smith said.
Smith’s address emphasized the responsibility of the Catholic laity in public life, quoting Christifideles Laici, which stresses the need for the laity to fully embrace their co-responsibility to carry out the mission of the Church.
“‘The work that awaits everyone in the vineyard of the Lord is so great there is no place for idleness,’” Smith quoted. “Thankfully the amazing people in this room — laity and religious alike — have answered the call. We are all in.”
However, Smith also acknowledged the persistent challenges that lie ahead in the fight against abortion. He referred to abortion as “a weapon of mass destruction,” citing the staggering figure of more than 66 million abortions in the U.S. since 1973.
“That is a numbing death toll of children that equates with every man, woman, and child living in France, or looked at another way, more than the populations of Texas, Florida, and Illinois combined,” Smith said.
Smith stressed the importance of exposing the brutal realities of abortion methods, including the dismemberment of unborn children with surgical instruments and the use of abortion pills that “literally starve them to death and often result in their bodies being flushed down a toilet.”
He also called attention to the risks of chemical abortion, criticizing the lack of proper safety protocols under previous administrations.
“The risks posed to women from what is euphemistically called medication abortion must be exposed,” Smith urged, adding that he believes President Donald Trump will “expose the harmful impacts on women that have been grossly underreported” by previous administrations.
Smith also commended Trump’s pro-life actions, such as reinstating the Mexico City Policy, which halted U.S. funding for organizations that promote or perform abortions overseas.
Despite the significant challenges ahead, Smith expressed hope, pointing to the progress made after the reversal of Roe v. Wade, with half the states having laws to protect unborn children. In two years, more than 200,000 children have been saved.
“We know that the cruel injustice of abortion need not be forever,” Smith said, “and that each day, despite setbacks, many unborn children and their mothers have been and are being protected and by the grace of God, a culture of life is coming.”
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